Garment-supporter



E. L. ALLEN GARMENT SUPPORTER.

APPLICATION FILED 0613- I917.

Patented Aug. 12, 1919,

UNITED STATES PATENT onrion.

EDWARD 5L. ALLEN, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

e mvrnNr-sUPPoRTER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD L. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements inGarn1entSupporters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to garment supporters, and particularly togarment supporters of that type having a spring clasp to engage thefabric of a garment.

One object of the invention is to provide a novel construction of springwire clasp whereby simplicity and increased efficiency of grippingaction are obtained.

Another object is to provide a supporter embodying clasps or grippingmembers to engage garment members and an elastic connection between thesame, whereby provision is made for eiiiciently supporting one garmentmember from the other. I

Still another object is to provide a supporter which, by variations ofconstruction in the elastic connection, is adapted for various uses.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combinationand'arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed,reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is aview of the clasp per se.

Figs. 2, 3 and I are views showing the use of the clasp in differentforms of supporters.

In carrying my invention into practice, I provide a clasp 1 made from asingle piece or length of springwire. This clasp 1 is bent at one end toform a triangular loop 2. From one of the sidesor arms of the loopprojects a straight shank 3, integral with said arm or side of the loopand the lower portion of which forms'a spring jaw 4. The shank body 3'and jaw 4 are arranged in horizontal alinement with each other,'the jawforming a straight continuation of'the straight shank, and said shankand aw extend from the apex of the triangular loop and are arranged inline with the major aXis of said loop. The opposite end of the wireisbentto form a spring aw 5 which is parallel with the jaw 4L andcoextensive in length therewith. This jaw 5 terminates at its upper endin transverse alinement with the imaginary line of division between thejaw 4 and shank 8 and is integrally con- Patented Aug. 12, 1919.

Application filed October 3, 1917." Serial No. 194,518.

nected at its lower end with the jaw 4: by a bent or return portion 6.The upper end of the jaw 5 terminates in a lateral extension 7, forminga combined finger piece and bearing member, which extension 7 iscompleted by the terminal portion 8 of the wire, which is bent or foldedthereunder forming a doubled projection, the portions of which lie inthe same plane, thus increasing the area of the combined finger andbearing member, as well as the strength thereof, and disposing the freeend of the wire in such a manner as to prevent it from hooking into orotherwise injuring the garment or the hand of the user. The jaws 4 and 5may be slightly spaced apart, and the jaw 5 is movable relatively to thejaw 4 to admit a portion of the garment between said jaws, whereby suchportion of the garment may be held and clamped. TheeXtension 7 maybe'disposed at an obtuse angle to the jaws to form a flaring entrancespace for the free insertion and removal of the porti n of the garmentto be held, while at the same time allowing said extension to projectlaterally to a suflicient degree to form an easily grasped finger pieceand a bearing member of adequate bearing area. The spring wire clasp asthus constructed has all its portions disposed in the same plane, thusforming a clasp which is adapted to lie flat against the person of thewearer and is void of projections liable to tear or otherwise injure theclothes or person of the wearer.

In Fig. 2 I have illustrated one mode of use of the improved clasp, inwhich it is shown as employed in duplicate for the production of agarter, sleeveholder or shirt holder. As shown, two of the clasps areemployed, which project in opposite directions, or with their triangularloops 2 facing each other, the said clasps being connected by a flatstrip 9 of elastic webbing having its end portions passed through theloops and stitched or otherwise secured to the body of the web. Thedevice as thus constructed may be used as a garter for directlyconnecting the hose with an under garment, the upper and lower claspsbeing engaged with portions of the'hose and under garment as shown. Bythis construction the hose will be supported from downward movement andthe under garment from upward movement, and the elastic strip will holdthe parts in proper position, while permitting the device as a whole toexpand and contract to accommodate the body movements of the wearer.This construction of device may also be employed as a sleeve holder,above and below a certain point, for the purpose of holding the lowerend or cuif of the sleeve elevated or for taking up a portion of asleeve of abnormal length. The device may also be used for connectingthe lower portion of a shirt with an under garment for holding the shirtdown and preventing it from creeping up, in the event of the use of abelt instead of suspenders as a trousers support.

In Fig. 3 I have shown another mode of use of the clasp for a differenttype of hose upporter, in which a single clasp is employed at the top ofthe supporter for engagement with the under garment and a pair ofdiverging clasps are employed at the lower end of the supporter forengagement with the hose. In this structure the upper clasp is connectedby an elastic strip 10 with an elastic loop 11 connected in turn byother elastic strips 12 with the lower clasps, by which construction theparts of the clasp are limited to a relative longitudinal movement andmaintained in proper position by the web 10, and the lower clasps arepermitted to assume an angular position and maintained in such positionand limited in lateral movement by the elastic loop 11 and elasticstrips 12. the supporter effectually operates to prevent turning orlateral movement of the hose engaging clasps and secures the hoseagainst any possibility of accidental disengagement or displacement,while allowing free motions of the limb of the user in all directions.In Fig. t I have shown the device adapted for use as a supporter andfastener, for connecting the hose with knee-length under garments andholding the hose and garment in proper position. In this structure theupper clasp 1 is connected by a short elastic web 13 with an upperelastic loop 14, which is connected by a long elastic strip 15 with alower elastic loop 16, with which a pair of lower clasps 1 are connectedin the same manner as shown in Fig. 3. The strip 15 is of proper lengthto adapt the device to extend between the under garment and hose, andhas one of its ends passed through the loop 14 and folded over uponitself and stitched or otherwise secured, and has its other end passedthrough the loop 16 and secured to a slide 17 adjustably engaging thebody of the elastic strip, whereby the This construction of length ofthe strip may be varied as circum-- stances require.

In the various applications to which the clasp may be put, it will beobserved that by reason of the fact that the clasp is made of a singlepiece of spring wire, all of whose portions lie in a single plane, afirm bearing of the clasp against the person of the wearer will besecured and a reliable and efficient clamping action upon the garmentobtained. Also it will be seen that the lateral extension 7 will serveas a finger piece allowing the clasp to be easily engaged with anddisengaged from the garment, and with its extremity 8 will form abearing member to rest squarely against the body of the wearer andprevent the clasp as a whole from turning or twisting laterally, theadvantages of which will be apparent.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim:

1. A clasp for garment supporters comprising a length of spring wirebent at one end to form a triangular loop, the body portion of said wireextending straight from the vertex of the loop and perpendicular to thebase thereof, the opposite end of the said wire bent back upon itself toform a pair of parallel jaws spaced slightly apart and in substantialalinement with the loop vertex, and the free end of the backwardly bentportion extended laterally at an angle to the jaws.

2. A clasp for garment supporters formed from a single piece or lengthof spring wire, the said wire being bent at one end to provide atriangular loop, thence extended from one of the side arms of the loopat the apex thereof to form a straight shank. and a spring jawcontinuous therewith, said shank and jaw belng disposed in longitudinalalinement with each other and with the major axis of the triangularloop, the wire thence being bent backwardly upon one side of andparallel with the spring jaw to form a second spring jaw, both of saidjaws extending parallel to the direction of the strain thereon, anextension continuous with said second jaw bent at an obtuse anglethereto at a point medially between the apex of said loop and thebackwardly bent portion of said wire, and a terminal portion doubledbeneath said extension, all of said portions of the wire clasp beingarranged to lie in the same plane.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

EDWARD L. ALLEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

